First of all, how do you like my title for this post? I had to do something witty as there was no other way to describe all the temples in Ayutthaya. The word WAT is actually used in Southeast Asia for a Buddhist monastery or temple, and Ayutthaya is the spot to find them in. So, which ones to visit?
After one month in Cambodia and my time on the Thailand Island – Chillin’ on Koh Chang Island – it was time to head back to Bangkok. Going back to my usual hotel (L.A. Residence 49), I feel like I just returned home. It is always nice to have a base in between all the travels. But first the exciting news! Before I’m going to continue my journey to Laos and Vietnam, I have a wedding to attend here. Can‘t wait!
Temples in Ayutthaya
As I had a little bit of extra time before the big event, I decided to head north of Bangkok, to Ayutthaya. In addition, the trip was a great way to escape the bustling Bangkok for one night. All I had to do is catch the sky train to the northern station ‚Mo Chit‘ and take a mini van bus to Ayutthaya for 60THB. Easy done!
The city Ayutthaya was once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and, sitting on an island between 3 rivers, it was a prosperous international trading port. Furthermore, the ruins of the old city form the Ayutthaya Historical Park is now an archaeological site full of Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues.
Certainly something different to see. So which ones are the ones to visit?
Ayutthaya doesn‘t seem as busy as Siem Reap in Cambodia – Angkor Wat and the Temples of Cambodia. It is certainly great, because you can walk around and take photos within the temples, without the big tourist groups in your way. In contrast, because it isn‘t a big tourist spot, restaurants are rare and hard to spot. By restaurants I mean ones that aren‘t Thai street food spots of course. Those you can always find anywhere but I still try to avoid them.
Something not deep fried please!
Cycling in Ayutthaya
The best way to get around the city island to visit all the temples of Ayutthaya, is, with a bicycle. And seriously, I can‘t remember last time I was riding a bike. Maybe 13 years ago? Luckily I had access to a free bike at the hotel, so, after a wobbly start, off I went. What a great feeling!
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Temples in Ayutthaya – which ones to visit?
As mentioned above, the city is surrounded by many temple (wat) ruins. Some were for free, while some you paid a small entry fee that support the restoration funds. Sounds perfect. In addition, almost all of them were outdoors or in parks and therefore made it easy to spot. I didn‘t visit every wat ruin, only the ones I thought looked appealing and interesting to me.
Because, really, how to know what Wat to watch?
And remember, always dress appropriate.
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From Wat Nok and the famous Buddha head amongst the tree roots, to the bigger Wat Chaiwatthanaram, all were great to see. However, the best one for me was the reclining Buddha (Phra Buddha Sai Yat), due to his immense size. I liked the smile on this giant Buddha, just lying there, in a relaxed posed. How can you be so happy when you‘re soo big?
Exploring the city made the mix of ancient and modern impossible to miss, especially when I noticed kids playing soccer in front of the Wat Jao Prab Monument in one of the parks.
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Trip Summary – Temples of Ayutthaya
Otherwise, there is really not much more to say about Ayutthaya and the wats. Which ones to visit? If you have time it is great to see them all. There is lots of history to find after all. If you are not sure, I hope my travel photos give you an idea of what you can expect. I found it all quite fascinating!
It was also a great to get away from the busy city Bangkok and see something different. Also, riding around on a bike was super fun, which as a result added to my daily activity that I usually try and keep. The way back to Bangkok was once again very easy and the lack of traffic made it even faster (1 hour by mini bus).
I have finally a few more days left of Bangkok before my friend’s wedding and even more of Asia! – Beach, Pool and the Wedding Weekend!
Afterword: Little did I know that the year after I would be cycling 2600 km through Europe. Funny how life goes. Read the first blog post here – Off to Spain. Cycling the Main River.
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